Cover Crop Effects on Crop Yields and Soil Organic Carbon Content

Olson, Kenneth R.; Ebelhar, S. A.; Lang, James M.

doi:10.1097/ss.0b013e3181cf7959

Cited by 68 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…2b), and was 0.75 Mg ha -1 greater at the agronomic maximum N rate (plateau yield; Table 5). No-till cropping systems may benefit from cover crops through decreased soil erosion, increased N recycling, improved soil quality, and increased crop yield (Olson et al, 2010;Moore et al, 2014;Reinbott et al, 2004). That was not the case in our study, where reduced yield was potentially due to an allelopathic effect from the RCC on corn growth or differences in soil properties between no-RCC and RCC during the growing season.…”

Section: Corn Yield and Nitrogen Response Corn Yieldcontrasting

confidence: 40%

“…Studies conducted in the Midwest region of the USA show that cover crops can reduce NO 3 loss from 7 to 65 kg N ha -1 (Dabney et al, 2010;Kaspar et al, 2012;Malone et al, 2014). Cover crops also have potential to improve C sequestration, nutrient cycling, soil internal drainage, and help reduce runoff, soil erosion, and weed pressure (Franzluebber, 2005;Hoorman, 2009, Olson et al, 2010Bernstein et al, 2011;Mirsky et al, 2013;Tabaglio et al, 2013). Despite their benefits, cover crops have not been widely adopted in the Midwest due to several factors, including increased cost and management, lack of success in nutrient recycling, limited establishment and growth during late fall and early spring, reduced crop yields, and seed availability (Raimbault et al, 1990;Johnson et al, 1998;Reddy, 2001;Dabney et al, 2001;Thelen and Leep, 2002;Andraski and Bundy, 2005;Kramberger et al, 2009;Reese et al, 2014).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Corn Nitrogen Fertilization Requirement and Corn-Soybean Productivity with a Rye Cover Crop

Pantoja

Woli

Sawyer

et al. 2015

Soil Science Society of America Journal

102

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winter rye (Secale cereale l.) cover crop (rcc) has potential to reduce no 3 -n loss from corn (Zea mays l.) and soybean [Glycine max (l.) Merr.] fields. However, rcc effects on annual crop productivity and corn optimal n fertilization requirement are unclear. the objectives were to evaluate corn and soybean yield response to rcc and corn optimal n rate. treatments were no-rcc and rcc with six fertilizer n rates (0-225 kg n ha -1 ) applied to corn in a no-till corn-soybean (cs) rotation at four iowa sites in 2009 through 2011. the rcc biomass and n uptake was low, with a maximum of 1280 kg dry matter (dM) ha -1 and 26 kg n ha -1 , respectively. in the no-n control, the rcc reduced soil profile no 3 -n by 15 kg n ha -1 only at time of rcc control before corn planting. corn canopy sensing, plant height, and plant population indicated more n stress, reduced plant stand, and slower growth with rcc. the rcc reduced corn grain yield by 6% at the economic optimum n rate (eonr). the eonr was the same with no-rcc and rcc, but plant n uptake efficiency (Pue) was reduced at low n rates with rcc, but not above the eonr. soybean yield was not affected by rcc. results indicate n fertilization rate should be the same with or without rcc. improvement in rcc systems and management could make rcc a more viable practice within notill corn and soybean production.Abbreviations: CS, corn-soybean; DM, dry matter; EONR, economic optimum nitrogen rate; NDVI, normalized difference vegetative index; NUE, nitrogen use efficiency; PAN, plant available nitrogen; PUE, plant nitrogen uptake efficiency; RCC, rye cover crop; SOM, soil organic matter; YEONR, yield at economic optimum nitrogen rate. E nvironmental concerns related to crop N fertilization is an ongoing issue (USEPA, 2007), including reducing N in surface waters related to hypoxia in coastal surface waters Kladivko et al., 2014). Nitrogen application rate to corn is an important factor in regard to cropping system profitability and NO 3 loss. Applying only the optimal N rate will not stop NO 3 loss, nor necessarily achieve the drinking water standard (Lawlor et al., 2007). Successful development of agricultural systems that benefit water quality have to be more inclusive of several agricultural practices, rather than only N rate or timing (Hatfield et al., 2009). Therefore, additional in-field practices are needed to reduce NO 3 losses (Sainju and Singh, 2008).Nitrate losses in tile drainage water from corn production systems can range from 7 to 68 kg N ha -1 yr -1 (Lawlor et al., 2007), and with most values ranging from 29 to 56 kg N ha -1 yr -1 (Sawyer and Randall, 2008). Cover crops have shown potential for uptake of residual N from fertilizers or inorganic N released from degrading soil organic matter (SOM) in the period between annual crops (Strock et al., 2004;Tonitto et al.,

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Section: Corn Yield and Nitrogen Response Corn Yieldcontrasting

confidence: 40%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Corn Nitrogen Fertilization Requirement and Corn-Soybean Productivity with a Rye Cover Crop

Pantoja

Woli

Sawyer

et al. 2015

Soil Science Society of America Journal

102

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“…3). Cover crops with fibrous roots bind aggregates of loose sandy soil and assimilate mineralized nutrients, retaining valuable crop nutrients within the agroecosystem [23]. Compact soils have smaller pores and poorer water infiltration, and as a result they are more vulnerable to erosion by runoff; plants with a large taproot (e.g., fodder radish) create large pores in compact soil to improve water infiltration [24].…”

Section: Cover Crops Mitigate Erosion On Sloping Landsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is developed through generations of experience and is rarely written down, as a result, TEK/ITK is vulnerable to loss, and there is an intrinsic value to its preservation [104]. Tacit value can be generated by developing novel interventions that utilize aspects of TEK to monitor and Water use efficiency Drought tolerance [32] Nitrogen fixation Plant nutrition, soil fertility [32] Phosphate mineralization Plant nutrition [32] Palatability Feed quality [32] Spreading growth Soil cover, prevent erosion [32] Long roots Deep penetration, sequester moisture [121] Fibrous roots Bind aggregates, prevent erosion [23] Suppressive exudates Suppress pests and diseases [122] Seed storability Shelf life [123] Lack of dormancy Can be planted readily [123] Germination Even canopy formation [123] Inbreeding Homogenous populations from saved seed [123] Duration Compatibility with crop rotation [32] Regrowth Tolerance of trampling, grazing, and cutting [32] Naturalized Not invasive [32] Allelopathy Suppression of weeds [48] Yield Productivity [32] Low input Labor, water, nutrients, rainfed [32] manage ecosystems [104,105]. Botanical, agronomic, and anthropological approaches can be combined to understand and improve members of the dry season plant community [10,106,107].…”

Section: Wild Plant Selection Can Benefit From Traditional Knowledge mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitigating dry season food insecurity in the subtropics by prospecting drought-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing weeds

Small

Raizada

2017

Agric & Food Secur

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Subtropical regions experience an extended dry season, which inhibits the growth of most crops, and as a result there is seasonal scarcity of food and fodder. Globally, almost 600 million smallholders and landless laborers experience hunger in the dry season. This situation is expected to worsen, as water shortages are expected to impact up to twothirds of humanity between 2010 and 2050. A second challenge is that 45% of the world's agricultural land is sloped and vulnerable to intense surface runoff during the transition from the dry to rainy season (e.g., monsoon). Erosion, along with nutrient mining, contributes to a net loss of soil fertility. Drought-tolerant legumes can mitigate these challenges. Legumes form symbiotic relationships with microbes that can sequester atmospheric nitrogen gas as ammonia, a process termed biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). As a result of BNF, legumes are rich in nitrogen, which is a building block of edible protein and organic nitrogen fertilizer to replenish soils. Leguminous cover crops can be used as food/feed, and as a tool to reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers, prevent erosion, and suppress undesired weeds that grow on bare, dry soil that otherwise cause female drudgery. Unfortunately, cover cropping is not a traditional practice in most subtropical regions and BNF is inhibited by drought (dry season). Subsistence farmers around the world would benefit from nutritious and drought-tolerant cover crops that can sustain nitrogen fixation in the dry season. Here, we propose that neglected crops in addition to native and naturalized plants that persist in the dry season, often considered to be weeds, may be utilized for the development of new cover crops. A detailed framework is presented for the identification, characterization, and selection of such species. As a case study, the framework was applied to the mid-hills of Nepal. A literature review, stakeholder interviews, and field site visits with farmers informed the selection of 78 candidate dry season leguminous cover crop species. It is hoped that this innovative approach will serve as a model to help alleviate food/feed shortages and improve the livelihoods of subsistence farmers in the global subtropics.

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“…However, sometimes TOC might not be considered a very sensitive indicator in short term agricultural systems (Alvarez and Alvarez, 2000) because of a slight or non-existent increase in its content (Lagomarsino et al, 2009;Mendes et al, 1999;Olson et al, 2010). For this reason, the evaluation of a labile fraction of the organic matter, the microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) seems to provide earlier changes in SOM contents rather than TOC.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological and other soil parameters response to winter cover crops in a mediterranean irrigated system

González¹

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Cover Crop Effects on Crop Yields and Soil Organic Carbon Content

Cited by 68 publications

References 17 publications

Corn Nitrogen Fertilization Requirement and Corn-Soybean Productivity with a Rye Cover Crop

Corn Nitrogen Fertilization Requirement and Corn-Soybean Productivity with a Rye Cover Crop

Mitigating dry season food insecurity in the subtropics by prospecting drought-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing weeds

Biological and other soil parameters response to winter cover crops in a mediterranean irrigated system

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